COLUMBUS, Ohio — Parents who lost their teenage son to suicide after he was sexually extorted are applauding Ohio lawmakers for introducing a bill to make sextortion a crime.
It's a story we've been following for years: 'sextortion' and the devastating ramifications for the Woods family.
Tamia and Tim Woods’ only son, James Woods, died of suicide in 2022. He was a Streetsboro High School senior, a stand-out athlete and a happy kid.
RELATED: Streetsboro couple who lost teen son to sextortion raises awareness of cyber crime
It’s been nearly two years, and Tamia Woods mourns the loss of her son, James, every day.
"It was the worst day of my husband and my life; it really changed my everything," Woods told me. "It just truly broke our heart and our heart will forever be broken."
Her 17-year-old son took his life on Nov. 19, 2022, after he became a victim of sextortion. He was sent explicit photos by someone pretending to be a teen girl on Instagram — and convinced him to send a video of himself.
Then, the blackmailer sent 200 messages to James, telling him he needed to pay hundreds of dollars to prevent the release of the video. Within 20 hours, James committed suicide.
"My heart broke again, not only because of me losing him, but in his last hours — my husband and I were not able to protect him," the mother said.
Through the investigation, the Woods family learned pictures of James were sent to other teens and threats were made to post them widely on social media if James didn't pay $300. The family said James sent $100, but the threats continued. The next day, he died from suicide in his Streetsboro home. Tim and Tamia were devastated and completely unaware of the anguish James was enduring over just one day.
RELATED: 'They were tormenting him': Parents say suicide of Streetsboro teen linked to sextortion
It felt like another blow when Woods found out that what happened to James wasn't a crime.
"It is hurtful that you may not ever see justice," Woods said. "With James, we may not ever see justice."
But state lawmakers are trying to change that with bipartisan House Bill 531, or Braden’s Law, a bill named after another teenager’s similar situation.
"House Bill 531, or Braden's Law, represents a critical step forward in our efforts to combat this crime that we call sextortion — and to protect Ohio citizens," state Rep. Beth Lear (R-Galena) said during sponsor testimony Wednesday.
She and state Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) joined together to make sextortion a crime, with felony charges up to 11 years in prison. Penalties start at a third-degree felony but are raised to first-degree if the victim is a minor, elderly or disabled.
If the crime results in bodily harm or death, a court could impose an additional 10 years, meaning James' blackmailer could have received 21 years in prison.
"Braden’s Law will be included in the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund for all victims of sextortion and their families," Lorenz added.
This legislation provides immunity to victims for sending explicit images, so children do not need to worry about getting in trouble — which is what James went through.
“For 19.5 hours, they told him ‘he would be a pedophile, that he would be going to jail, that his mother would never love him anymore, that his father would never love him,'” Woods told us in a previous interview. “Do y’all understand what that does to someone? Especially after you make a mistake?”
The bill would also allow a parent or guardian to gain access to a phone or device belonging to a deceased minor within 30 days. Although Woods was able to get into James' phone within a day, Braden Markus' family spent 10 months trying to figure out what drove him to suicide, according to the bill sponsors.
"Braden's parents were denied access to his phone by tech giants," Lorenz said.
The legislation absolves the cell phone carrier of liability for allowing prompt cooperation.
The Woods family is behind it. So are Statehouse leaders, prosecutors and police.
"Do you think that [this legislation] could have changed the outcome for your son?" I asked Woods.
"Oh, 100%," she responded. "And I can say that without a shadow of a doubt."
It is too late to save her son, she added, but it’s not too late to save other kids from the same fate.
"I hope that it passes 100% because we have to fight for our children," the mother said. "If we are not fighting for our children, who else will?"
Woods and her husband Tim have become pillars in the campaign to raise awareness of sextortion with the Do It For James Foundation. They educate families across the country, raise money for scholarships and host an annual 5K walk/run with activities, games and speakers. This year, it is on July 20 in Streetsboro, where the family is from.
Learn more by clicking here.
If you believe you or your child has become a victim of sextortion, report it here.
Below is a list of additional resources regarding sextortion and suicide prevention:
- Crisis Text Line
- Mental Health Resources & Supports
- Sextortion Information: What Parents and Kids/Teen's Need to Know from the FBI
- Sextortion: What Families Should Know
- Suicide Contagion
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
